This pancake is super easy & so much fun to make! I love watching it puff up… and it’s delicious, too.  If you’ve never made one before, give it a try. I’d love to hear from you, if you do.

Dutch Baby Pancake
Yield: One 10” Dutch Baby

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1⁄2 cup flour
1⁄2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp lemon zest, optional
Pinch of salt
4 Tbsp butter

METHOD
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
You will need a 10-inch frying pan.
Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
Put the skillet on a medium high and let it get hot.
Add the butter, let it melt, being careful not to let it burn.
Carefully pour batter into the pan.
Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden.
Lower your oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 5 minutes longer.
Remove pancake from oven.
I like to top it with some powdered sugar.
Cut into wedges and serve at once topped with whatever you like (options below).
Enjoy!

GARNISHES: Syrup, powdered sugar, squeeze of lemon, jam, cinnamon sugar, fresh berries, banana, chocolate syrup, sliced cooked apples, nuts, sweetened ricotta, peaches, mango, pineapples, chocolate chips, whipped cream, etc.

I wanted to make something different for breakfast, and I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for something sweet or savory? With this breakfast I didn’t have to choose, ‘cause it has it all!

French Toast Bread Puddings on baking sheet just out of the oven

There’s always plenty of bread in the house (this is somewhat of an understatement). I will admit right now that I definitely have a weakness for bread. It’s typical for me to come home from the grocery store with 4 or 5 different types of bread for the week. It’s just hard to decide between sourdough or French, wheat or rye, buns, baguette, rolls, etc. and before I know it I’m at the checkout with a variety.

That being said there were several different types of bread in the pantry, but not enough to make 4 servings of the same type of French Toast… that’s when bread pudding came to the rescue!

I wanted something savory, too, so adding the egg in the corner did the trick… and some bacon on the side.  

Yummy! ;)

When we were in Hawaii last year I noticed that they served rice with most dishes, even breakfast!  I’ve always been a lover of rice, especially with a little butter and Parmesan, but used to think of rice as something for lunch or dinner ~ not breakfast… but not anymore.

The other night we had orzo (yes, I realize this is just pasta shaped like rice), and as usual, I prepared more than necessary. Honestly, I think it’s an Italian thing, ‘cause I always make too much pasta. Anyway, there was leftover orzo and this morning it was breakfast.  It was delicious with two perfectly poached eggs on it. That was then topped with some fresh homemade salsa and Chipotle Tabasco Sauce. A piece of toast made it just perfect!

This recipe works really great with leftover Fettucini Alfredo, too!

Egg Poaching

To poach my eggs I use a saute pan that is about 3 inches deep. I fill it with water and pour in about 2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon (about 1 teaspoon per cup of water). White vinegar works best, but it’s no big deal to use apple cider vinegar. The vinegar or lemon (acid) just keeps the egg together when you place it into the hot water.

Turn the heat on medium and when the water gets to about boiling point crack your egg(s) into the water. If you want to be sure that you don’t break the yolk while doing this, I suggest you crack the egg into a small bowl/cup and then pour it into the hot water. Don’t let the water boil, just keep it at a steady medium-low heat.

I know some people talk about swirling the water so that the yolk sits perfectly. I honestly don’t care if the yolk is sitting perfectly. Plus, I’ve usually got 6 or 8 eggs poaching at once, so swirling won’t work for me.  In just a few minutes the eggs will be done. I cook mine for 2 to 3 minutes. You can tell just by looking at them if the white is cooked enough and the yolk is still nice and soft.

Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.  You can blot eggs with a paper towel to remove any excess water, if needed.

Yummy!